Dillon Brooks is expected to sign with the Houston Rockets this offseason, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
“Small forward Dillon Brooks is expected to sign elsewhere in free agency, where Houston continues to be the destination most often mentioned for Brooks by league personnel,” Fischer wrote.
Brooks becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Memphis Grizzlies won’t re-sign Brooks. The Oregon product played poorly against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.
“The Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending unrestricted free agent Dillon Brooks that he will not be brought back under any circumstances, league sources tell The Athletic,” Charania reported on May 2. “After his tumultuous end to the season, Brooks was told about the Grizzlies’ decision to move on in exit meetings with team officials in recent days, those sources said. Memphis and Brooks discussed in exit meetings that it’s best for both sides to have a fresh start, sources added.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies & Houston Rockets Updates
Brooks averaged just 10.5 points while shooting 31.2% from the field and 23.8% from beyond the arc against the Lakers. He also talked too much trash to Lakers superstar LeBron James, calling the four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP “old” after the Grizzlies won Game 2 in Memphis.
“Brooks’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers was considered to be a breaking point,” Charania reported. “In the span of the Grizzlies’ series loss in six games, he called LeBron James, the Lakers’ best player and a four-time NBA champion, ‘old,’ ‘tired,’ and suggested he was not as good as he used to be. Brooks punched James in the groin area in Game 3, earning an ejection. He missed a defensive assignment to help on James on the game-tying basket in Game 4, and then gave up a critical basket to James in overtime of that loss. Brooks also chose not to speak to the media after three of the losses in the series, resulting in a $25,000 fine by the NBA.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies & Houston Rockets Updates
Brooks has career averages of 14.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. It will be interesting to see how much money the Rockets — who have over $60 million in cap space — offer Brooks.
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